Why do the waters of the California coast turn red during the day and are illuminated with blue light at night
A red tide has come into the waters off the coast of California. During the day, the 25-kilometer coastal strip turns red, and the real magic comes with the onset of darkness. At night, photographers and just beauty lovers flock to California beaches to admire the fantastic glow of the waves.
The natural phenomenon is explained by the blooming of bioluminescent algae — dinoflagellates, red tiny organisms that give the water a reddish color during the day and illuminate the waves at night. Moreover, the red tide is best seen when the sun is overhead between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. And at night, any movement of water causes the dinoflagellates to emit a glow.
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It is not yet known how long the algae bloom will last and how far it will spread. According to the Scripps Institution of Oceanography, at high tide, the concentration of floating red organisms can reach 20 million per liter. The blue glow occurs when an enzyme and a protein are combined, which are contained in algae. But scientists have not found out why organisms glow.
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Others believe that the glow attracts fish, which, in turn, should eat this zooplankton.
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Keywords: Algae | California | Ocean | Phenomenon